


You Really Got Me

by orphan_account



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1980s, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Fluff, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Van Halen Concert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-30
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-09-30 13:11:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20447663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: They were good at this by now, this dumb thing they did in places with too many people looking on. Daryl was a lot taller than Paul, so it was easy for him to throw an arm around Paul’s shoulder, all seemingly rough, to pull Paul’s head in close like he was gonna rustle up his hair.





	You Really Got Me

**Author's Note:**

> Guys. So I wanted to write about Daryl and Paul being together when they were young (late teens, early twenties?) and then realized that, give or take a few years, that would probably have happened in the 1980s. So this fic happened. Featuring Paul's kid foster sister and some Van Halen. Hope you enjoy!!

Augusta, Georgia

July 1982

“Best birthday _ever_, right, Jo?”

It really was – with the vibrations of the music still tingling in her bones, and her foster brother, Paul, by her side clutching his sleeve to his split lip to try and stop the bleeding. He’d caught a flying elbow to the face towards the end of the show and had been trying to contain the bleeding ever since.

Daryl grinned down at her from where he was standing, leaning against the railing outside of the venue. He’d slumped against it when they’d first left the building, releasing a sharp laugh filled with the high, the energy, from the concert.

“It better be,” Paul muttered, pulling his hands away from his face to spit blood onto the sidewalk. Jolene wrinkled her nose. “Only cost you, like two whole paychecks.”

Jolene hadn’t really thought about that till now. “Oh,” she said, her voice dropping lower and the edges of her lips pulling down. The lighthearted feeling turning into a deep-seated sense of guilt that was entirely too familiar. Being a foster kid, it always felt like she was taking, taking, _taking_ things she didn’t earn, didn’t deserve. Her voice stumbled, “I can pay you back, I’ve got allowance money saved up—”

“Shut it, Paul,” said Daryl and pushed off the rail to stand by Jolene. He pinched her noise between his index finger and thumb. “It’s called a present, okay? I can spend my money any damn way I want to.”

“But, it’s _too much_—” thinking of the times she had seen Daryl, after work, arms covered in oil and hair sweaty and slicked back behind his ears.

“It’s really not, kid. You only turn fourteen once. Should do it in style - jammin’ out to the greatest rockers of all time,” Daryl said, cocking his chin upwards and sending an exaggerated wink her way. Jolene laughed. Daryl was always so good at making her feel better, even when Paul was being a dick.

“Okay you two,” Paul muttered, turning to stand closer to them. Blood was caught in his gum line and coated his teeth. Daryl rolled his eyes, sticking his hand into his leather jacket and pulling out a metal flask. He silently handed it over to Paul.

“Geesh, bro, my little sister is _right there_.”

“You have blood all over your teeth,” Daryl shrugged. “Plus, Jo is like - _old_ now, man.” Jolene brightened even more, shoulders falling back. It was Paul’s turn to roll his eyes, which he did before taking a swig and swishing it around in his mouth with a grimace, before spitting on the pavement, once again, like a total animal.

“Yeah, whiskey tastes so much better then blood, thanks,” Paul chuckled, going back to pressing his sleeve to his mouth.

“Man, you are really lookin’ to get it today,” said Daryl, shoving Paul a little. Daryl said it in the way he and Paul were always talking, like a joke was sitting right below the surface but only the two of them knew the punchline.

They were good at this by now, this dumb thing they did in places with too many people looking on. Daryl was a lot taller than Paul, so it was easy for him to throw an arm around Paul’s shoulder, all seemingly rough, to pull Paul’s head in close like he was gonna rustle up his hair.

Jolene knew how it must’ve looked to the other people milling around outside the venue. Daryl leaned down to whisper something in Paul’s ear - maybe a threat. But Jolene, only a foot away, could see that Daryl’s lips didn’t really move much, just rested lightly on the space behind Paul’s ear. Paul put a hand on Daryl’s chest like he was gonna push him off and gripped his shirt tight in a fist like he was going to shove him down, but he never did.

Paul’s hand still twisted in his shirt, Daryl grumbles, “Fine, let’s get a move on. We still got a couple hours in the car and it’s already past Jo’s bedtime,” he says, waiting a beat before sending another wink her way. She huffs.

“Hey Jo,” Paul says as they're walking back to the car. It’s dark out and the air is steadily getting cooler. “I got you something,” and before she can react he’s pulled a piece of fabric out of the back waistband of his pants. It smacks her in the face, and she stops walking to grunt and hold it up. It’s a black shirt, with Van Halen written across the top and the lion with sunglasses jumping out. Jolene stares at a minute, a grin on her face.

“You got this for me?”

“Obviously dumbass, now get in the car.”

They all pile in, and for once Jolene doesn’t even mind sitting in the backseat.

* * *

When they get back into town, Paul first stops at Daryl’s house. Both of the boys get out of the car like they always do - even though Paul doesn’t even need to. It’s not like he needs to walk Daryl to his front door like he’s some sort of girl. Jolene sighs, running her fingers along the threading of the shirt and squeezes her eyes tightly shut when she sees Paul pulling Daryl in close. She pushes her forehead against the cool glass of the window, swallowing the lump sitting in the back of her throat.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I want to take a second and talk about Jolene for a second. I wanted this fic written from the perspective from a young mind of the 80s. This girl has genuine love for her older brother and his boyfriend. But being raised in a homophobic world she is having trouble being totally accepting of the situation. But like, she's really trying guys. Also I just really wanted a fic where Paul had a good experience with a foster family (at least a close sibling). 
> 
> Please leave me some love! :)


End file.
